This political cartoon, author and publication date unknown, is a rather accurate representation of the political situation that characterized the Cold War from 1945-1991. After the Second World War, two world superpowers rose to prominence: the United States and the Soviet Union. As a result of a massive arms race, both possessed the ability to annihilate the other, and because of this prinicple of mutual destruction, they were forced to use other means to fight each other for global dominance. This was most commonly done through the use of proxy wars, in which each side would support a faction within a war-torn country that supported their political ideology. The two most obvious examples would be the Korean and Vietnam Wars, both of which caused thousands of deaths and had messy and uncertain outcomes, such was the nature of most conflicts throughout the Cold War. This conflict was never one of direct violence between the two opposing parties, rather it was a battle of influence, based on which country could garner the most support from the various nations of the world. In the modern context, one can see the deeply rooted effects of this conflict that consumed the lives of millions of people for nearly half a century. While the definitive lines between communism and democracy have been blurred our outright destroyed, many nations can still feel the effects of Cold War-era tactics. Countries like North and South Korea represent the most stark example, as they still remain separated and fiercely opposed to one another, 24 years after the conflict that created their respective nations has come to an end. This lingering effect of Cold War tactics and others serve as a testament to the massive impact they had on the progression of global history, and indeed, on the lives of countless people. I chose this image because it accurately sums up this fascinating, yet also terrifying truth about the terror of destruction that the people of the world lived with for nearly 50 years, and how this fear drove them to create the world we live in today.

Source: http://www.yamacanyons.net/ColdWar2.jpg (Found through Google Images)